Labeling schools "low achieving" doesn't fix the problems

Recently, the Pennsylvania Department of Education released a listing of what it determined were “low-achieving” schools in the commonwealth. The list was supposedly created by compiling all 2011 public school PSSA math and reading scores and then ranking every school in Pennsylvania, with the lowest 15 percent of the schools as “low achieving.”

It sounds so simple: All low-achieving schools are failing, right? No. The law is designed to annually identify 15 percent of public schools as low achieving regardless of the actual student scores. For instance, every student could achieve the highest possible PSSA score and the school would still be determined to be low achieving.

Think about it this way: All students achieve B’s on the test, the PDE will still designate the lowest 15 percent (the lowest B’s) as low achieving.

But this new law does not apply to every school. Public charter and public cyber charter schools cannot be low achieving, even though their PSSA scores are often lower than public schools because parents already have a choice to send their children to these educational entities.

Additionally, private schools cannot be designated as low achieving because they do not participate in the PSSA school ranking. However, private schools are the primary receivers of this funding. Private schools should take note: By receiving state funding, you might become government controlled.

It is said scholarship funding comes from private business scholarship donations. However, a Pennsylvania tax credit will be given to participating businesses in exchange for their donation. This could mean up to a 90 percent decrease in business tax revenue, so where does the commonwealth make up for that loss?

Only one of three places: It increases taxes/fees, cuts more programs or cuts more funding. In any case, the taxpayer loses money or programs to fund private scholarships.

PDE says the need for this law is because “students [are] trapped in educational entities which are not meeting their academic needs.” That sound bite is valid until you look a little deeper.

The law provides financial help to students, even if they never even attended a low-performing school. That means a student who already attends a private school can apply for scholarship funding to attend that same private school. That does not exactly match the PDE definition of “trapped.”

Together, we can stop the fleecing of state taxpayer dollars and ongoing decreasing of taxpayer services and fix the government-controlled schools. Do what you think might be impossible and make demands of public officials that will set all schools free from stifling mandates and overpowering interference that cripples education.

First, demand they connect student academic achievement to real-life applications. I have searched far and wide for any job application that asks for a PSSA score and found none.

Don Bell

In addition, I have seen few postsecondary school applications in Pennsylvania and none outside the state that ask for the PSSA score. If we are to adequately prepare students for the future, we need to look forward.

Second, demand all schools — public, private, cyber and charter — be held to the same high levels of educational accountability. Make all educational entities complete a public report on their educational programs that includes but is not limited to: dropout rates, attendance rates, SAT scores, PSAT scores, ACT scores, AP scores, dual enrollment credits, postsecondary intentions, job placement rates, military training and report card grades. All schools should be required to achieve the same minimum academic level with the same funding.

Third, we continually hear education is a large part of the state budget, as such public officials should spend a large amount of their time in our schools. Tell them to frequently visit schools, walk the halls, visit the classroom and talk with, not at, children. Otherwise, their talking points continue to be
nothing more than political rhetoric.

I am convinced that statewide school collaboration with proper local oversight apart from state government interference will result in increased "real-life" student achievement without the need to increase taxes
to cover government mandates.

DON BELL is superintendent at Northern Lebanon School District.

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